1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a capsule medical apparatus and a medical system and, more particularly, to a capsule medical apparatus that is introduced into a subject to obtain a tissue from a body site (site to be examined) in order to perform a biopsy, such as a pathological diagnosis.
2. Description of the Related Art
Capsule endoscopes are available in the field of capsule endoscopy that are introduced into the organs of a subject and images (hereinafter, “in-vivo images”) of the inside of internal organs. These capsule endoscopes have image capturing and wireless communication functions. A subject, such as a patient, swallows a capsule endoscope, which then moves through the alimentary canal due to peristalsis. As the capsule endoscope moves, it captures in-vivo images of the subject. Each time the capsule endoscope captures in-vivo images, it wirelessly transmits the in-vivo images sequentially to a receiving device outside the subject. The capsule endoscope is eventually discharged to the outside with excrement.
An example of the kind of capsule endoscope described above includes a capsule medical apparatus that includes a tool, such as a forceps-shaped cup or a brush, for obtaining a tissue at the site to be examined (target site) in the subject (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-325438). When the conventional capsule medical apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid open No. 2003-325438 is introduced into a subject and has reached a target site, the tissue-sampling tool takes a tissue. The tissue-sampling tool is operated by a rotating magnetic field, which is applied from outside the subject.
Various types of medical systems for performing medical procedures, such as obtaining or excising tissue from a body site of a subject, have been developed in the field of capsule endoscopy. For example, a medical system is known in which ultrasound cross-sectional images that represent a puncture needle inserted into a target site in a subject are displayed so that the user can confirm that the puncture needle is actually inserted into the target site (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-40204). A capsule endoscope is also known in which an observing unit is provided to a suturing member that sutures a tissue, for example, a wound in the large intestine from which a lesion has been excised, so that the user can observe the suture (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-111763). A capsule endoscope is also known in which an image converter, such as an ultrasonic sensor, is arranged on a tube that is inserted into the tissue of a subject (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-116657). Using the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-116657, information from an image converter is displayed on a display device, which allows the user to confirm whether an affected area is excised appropriately.